Life's Runic Magnets
by praeses
Summary: What started off as a normal day soon morphed into an abnormal situation. Of course with Fairy Tail involved it was to be expected really. You know, staying at that mansion was probably not the best idea, but it will soon prove to be a fortuitous one. Co-Op with Elielephant. Rated T for language and themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to this Co-Op story between myself, praeses, and my friend Elielephant. This is a LaxusxOC story and there will be another OC paring later on, so if you don't like OC-centric stories then it would be best to turn back now. With that out of the way, time for a disclaimer. Disclaimer: Neither Elielephant nor I own Fairy Tail. We only own our OCs. **

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Chapter I: Laxus' Bad Day Begins!

_It hurt. Of course when did this sort of thing not hurt?_

_My limbs felt like lead, my muscles sore from contracting, my bones being crushed by the pressure._

_I felt my energy waning, disappearing just like snow in sunlight._

_There it is again._

_Her voice, her demanding tone as cold as the metal instruments she uses._

_She's ordering for me to continue, but I don't know if I can. But, as usual, I force myself to stand once again._

_I can't anger her._

_Otherwise..._

_Next time it'll be even more painful._

_The room was filled with a gentle hum once again; the whirrs and clicks of the various machines around me faded from the forefront of my mind as I concentrated on the task at hand._

_Mother... Why does it have to be this way?_

_Looking to her, all I see are those cold, hard blue eyes. There was never choice in the matter. Still though, I have to wonder if this is all I'll ever be..._

~...~

It was early, _very_ early in the morning.

There was still a dark film over the landscape of Magnolia, the building and trees only a silhouette in the crisp yellow rays filtering above the horizon. A tiny crackle of noise from the local business arose from the town, and the sweet smells from bakery wafted through the air.

But, despite the world coming to life, reality was still dead asleep.

How did Makarov know this? No one was here; not a soul.

The guild was empty save for Mirajane who always woke up at the crack of dawn to sweep the massive floor. Actually, she was the one that awoke him from his peacefully deep slumber in the first place because they had _visitors_. Naturally, he thought that it was a messenger from the Magic Council since those four brats and cat when off on _"vacation"_. Don't be fooled by the term; there was bound to be property damage worth millions and he wouldn't be surprised to learn of this in the _less_ than twenty four hours after they left. Oh, he could just see the Jewels fluttering away from the deposit box.

Damn brats, but they were _his_ damn brats.

Though, Mira reassured him that it was no one collecting Jewels, but rather two young adults who wanted to join the infamous—err, _famous_ Fairy Tail.

"How 'bout it, Pops?" The young man asked with a smirk on his tan lips, a twinkle in his chartreuse irises that made them look like precious emeralds were there in his sockets instead of eyes.

Makarov looked upon the two from his seat on the bartop, examining them carefully with squinted eyes.

And his first impression: _short._

_Yeah, yeah,_ he was short too, he knew that. These two might be taller than him, but they still looked short for their ages.

The boy, twenty-two? _No way in hell_; he had to be the age of his younger sister who said she was _fourteen_, and she had to be a least _eight_ for pity's sake. But, that's what you get with elves these days; the short people of the world, with dwarves just a step behind. So, age was hard to tell unless she had some form of identification, but he had a habit of allowing children in his guild anyway. And he has often wondered if that was a bad thing or not. Nonetheless, he liked adding to the family.

And with family, you have a tease just a tiny, little bit. "No."

The smile on the young man's face faltered, melting to a frown instantly as he shouted: "**What!** _Why?_ My sis n' I traveled four weeks to get 'ere' a dang month, old man! We told ya 'bout our magic! How we're a dynamic duo! Ain't that good enough?"

_**"Hmph,"**_ he scoffed, with folded arms over his still pyjama clad chest; why he was only teasing. There was no reason to give a sour attitude.

Mirajane chuckled nervously from behind the bar, a small smile gracing her pretty features as she tucked a stray lock of ivory hair behind her ear. "Now Master," she tried to reason with a motherly air to her tone. "I think we should let them join. The more the merrier, after all!"

_"Hmph,"_ he scoffed again as he twirled the tip of his bushy mustache between his thumb and forefinger. "We don't want to have another Lucy running around," once again, a _joke_, of course.

"Let us prove it to ya!" the young man declared with passion burning in his chartreuse eyes as he wrapped an arm around his younger sister's shoulder and pulled her forcibly to his body. Her young face scrunched up with displeasure as she tried to pry away from his strong grip, but failed miserably as he focused more on pumping a fist in the air and then down. "We're 'n unstoppable team! Nothin' gets in the way of my sis's Rune Magic 'n my—" he paused with a deep inhale of breath, that was more or less caused by his baby sister punching him in the stomach. "—Growth Magic!"

Such desire, such passion, _oh,_ it brought tears to his old eyes from seeing such sibling youth before him, but he did not let it show. He turned his head quickly away from the confused siblings and also Mira to flick the little buggers from the corner of his eyes. He wanted to leave them with a _good_ impression of the guild actually be serious; unlike with Lucy. Right now, they had no idea what they were getting into.

"_Hmph,_" he scoffed for a third time. "I think we need to see your skills on a mission then," he declared like the authority figure he was. He even posed, straightening his back and lifting his chin up high to make him look even more important, which he kinda was; guild master and all. The sight even made Mira giggle lightly behind her hand.

A smirk then came to the young man's lips, his chartreuse eyes narrowing with serious determination. "Ya got it, Pops!" and then he gave him a thumbs up. "Throw us the hardest thing ya got!"

"Err...nothing too hard," the younger sister finally spoke up, and then nudged her older brother in the side, directing the next comment of annoyance towards him. "I'm still tired after the _long_ walk..."

"Hmm…" Makarov hummed in thought, tapping his chin with the pad of his finger. "Mira," he glanced over his shoulder to the former mage. "I think we need a guild member to watch them so we know it's a success, who was the person that left first mission today."

Mirajane's smile turned into a frown quickly as she murmured: "…_Laxus._"

_Le gasp!_ Pardon the poor French, but he wasn't expecting that one and his jaw almost hit the floor, but he kept his cool and smirked. "_Excellent!_ That will be your guardian for your trial mission!"

"We accept!" The young man eagerly declared.

"Um, Master," Mirajane was quick to cut in, her blue eyes filled with concern. "Now, I don't think that is a very good idea…Laxus is...Laxus is, you know..._mean._"

"I know," he chuckled with a shake of his head; good thing he wasn't _actually_ going to make them do it. "I was only pulling their legs," then he turned back to his newest pair of children. "You guys don't have to go on any trials. It was only a joke! _Welcome to Fairy Tail!_"

_Silence,_ only the empty breeze of the guild.

"They left, Master," Mirajane pointed out the obvious.

"I see…" Makarov responded slowly.

"And they might never return now," Mirajane frowned deeply.

_"I know!"_ And tears came to his eyes; how could he do this to his new babies.

~…~

The sun had just peeked over the horizon to like the forest surrounding the city of Magnolia as the elven siblings searched from their trial mission guardian. The two crouched down along the shrubbery in the woods, right beside the dirt pathway that lead in and out of the city. The famous Laxus would be easy to find for it was hard to miss such a man as notable as him.

_"Hurry up, Amevin!"_ The brother of the pair hissed over his shoulder to his younger sister lagging behind as they crawled through the grass. "You're slower than molasses!"

_"But Cormahs~!"_ Amevin whined childishly, sticking her lower lip out in a pout as she stubbornly stopped to rest back on her heels. "I'm tired, hungry, an' my feet n' legs are gettin' all wet 'cause of the mornin' dew!"

"Then ya shouldn't of worn sandals!" Cormahs snapped when he jabbed a finger to the flimsy leather bound sandals she wore, but then he was quick to add. "N' should of worn jeans like me. Damn brat."

Amevin scowled at her older brother, and with tiny fingers curled into a tight fist, she punched him squarely in the back, her knuckles piercing through the thick fabric of his brown hoodie to bruise the skin underneath. "Jerkface," she hissed like a venomous snake.

Cormahs whipped around to face his baby sister with a trembling glare, but then something snared his attention in the background and he lunged for his sister, smothering her to his chest in his grasp.

_"Shh!"_ he hushed her muffled screams of disapproval as she pounded against his form for release. _"He's coming!"_

Amevin instantly calmed down when she heard the keywords, and in the silence, her pointed ears twitched upon hearing the heavy footsteps. Cormahs then let her go and they both turned to see the epicness of Fairy Tail: the world renowned Laxus Dreyar.

The muscular mage strolled nonchalantly down the wide path, fur coat draped over his shoulders along with his travel bag slung over one of them. The lightning mage barely paid attention to the road as he bobbed his head up and down to the rhythm coming from the music blaring into his ears. The odd shaped headphones were pointed in a way like he stabbed ice cream cones to his ears in the morning, but still, that didn't take away from the epicness.

The lightning mage held the explosive magic of lightning, a power that made other guilds quiver in their boots. Some may have found the mage to be rather...crude, rude, and inhuman with his tactics, but nonetheless, Laxus Dreyar was still considered one of the best.

Cormahs looked up to the mage like an idol, and he smiled like a giddy school girl when she saw her first crush in the schoolyard, not that he had a crush on Laxus or anything weird like that...it was just a one-sided bromance. A bromance that could get him and also his baby sister killed, but he had a plan for that.

"Vi," Cormahs whispered into his younger sister's pointed ear. "Use _that_ rune on him."

Amevin's face lit up with shock and her tan cheeks turned a pale white. _"N—no way!"_ she hissed back softly. "I can't use it well n' even if I could, I ain't using it on Laxus! The man can snap my neck with his teeth, just look at 'im!" and she pointed to the stone-cold expression on the lightning mage's face.

"_Pfft_, please~!" Cormahs waved it aside with a hand. "I've total faith in ya."

"Yeah, n' what if it don't work, _huh?_ What'll we do, Cor, _hmm?_" Amevin questioned with attitude sharp on her tongue. "Run n' hope for the best from a lightning mage that can prolly travel as fast as light!"

Cormahs blinked slowly at his baby sister, then looked to Laxus as his lumbering form passed them; the lightning mage none the wiser about being watched. "Well. Uh, yeah. I guess that's kinda bad."

"N' lightning is _bright,_ remember?" Amevin added on, her tone blunt and annoyed as she pointed to her eyes. "We're sensitive to light, _remember?_"

"Yeah, yeah, _yeah,_ I _know_ that," Cormahs scoffed, rolling his eyes and flicked a lock of amber hair from his eyes and to the side. "But it ain't like we're not prepared for that," and his grabbed the large sunglasses perched on the top of his brow and pushed them down to rest against the bridge of his nose.

Amevin did the same as her older brother and when the large shades were over their matching chartreuse eyes, the siblings looked at each other, pointed their forefingers at each other like guns ablazing, clicked their tongues and together, said: _"Sexy."_

With the sexy meter on an all time high, the siblings were ready to move. Well, Amevin was ready to move because she was doing all the work. From the satchel hanging over her shoulder, she pulled out one tiny stone with a simple square carved onto the surface, the markings glowing a pale shade of white. The rune mage said a tiny prayer, hoping that she wouldn't screw up and then she threw the stone at the lightning mage.

Laxus paused when he felt the tiny tap that traveled through the thick fur of his coat and then he felt a tiny sting, like a bee tried to sting him through all the layers of clothing he wore. He wanted to look behind him to see what the hell touched him, but he found he couldn't move his head, _hell_, he couldn't seem to move his entire body. He grunted, trying to lift his leg, shrug his shoulder, _damn_, he tried to wiggle his big toe, but nothing seemed to work.

"What the fuck is going on!" his mouth was the only thing that could still move, and that is what he screamed to the empty air, or so he thought.

"_Amevin!_ What'd ya do? You're only suppose ta freeze 'is legs!"

"I told ya that I can't use it well, Cormahs! It's your damn fault!"

_"Damn brat!"_

_"Jerkface!"_

Laxus stood there in momentary shock as he watched two elves of all things appear from the bushes, still covered in leaves from hiding. His orange eyes flickered back and forth between the bantering pair of siblings and his rage level was rising higher, and higher...and higher. **"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!"** Until it exploded.

The sudden thunder in his voice make the elven siblings jump in shock and stare at him; oh how lucky they were he could not move.

"Um, well ya see," Cormahs started nervously as he scratched the side of his tan cheek with a fingernail; oh where to start. "I'm Cormahs Auvreaneldth, Cor for short" greetings were the right way to go, yes? And then he pointed to his baby sister. "N' this is Amevin, my little sis, but ya can call 'er Vi," and Amevin timidly waved towards the lightning mage, visibly gulping. Cormahs then chuckled anxiously as he continued on. "N' we're Wood Elves from Bosco."

"I don't give a flying fuck," Laxus growled like a feral animal thick with rabies; it was a surprise he wasn't foaming at the mouth right about now...

Cormahs, though, shook the thought from his head and continued. "Err, yeah, well, we wanna join Fairy Tail."

"Good for you," Laxus snapped with poison overflowing in his words. "Now undo this charm and fuck off."

Amevin scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rude jerkface," she grumbled under her breath, but it wasn't soft enough.

"Can it, sprite princess and _let me go!_" He demanded, his tone so loud that it looked weird because his body wasn't reacting to his rage at all.

Cormahs could see things were not going so well, and Amevin was only making things worse because she was provoking an argument. When she got into an argument, she _had_ to win. Seriously, she had to be the dominate one because she was as stubborn as an ass that wouldn't move unless a carrot was dangling in front of its face. So, he had to move things along, which meant shutting up his baby sister.

He clapped his hands together, prayed to Saelia for forgiveness and then swiftly punched his baby sister in the cheek, momentarily stunning her. Before she could recover Cormahs yelled. "N' Master said we gotta go on a trial mission with ya!"

Laxus stared at them, not knowing whether to be shocked by the fact the older brother hit his kid sister, with the current situation of his body being rooted in place, or his grandfather stupid prank. Blinking his amber eyes once, then twice, he then decided that he would curse the name of his grandfather to hell and back and then to hell once more. What was that old man thinking, like seriously?

"You better let me go or else," the lightning mage threatened coldly; no more time to screw around and play games. He wanted out, and he wanted out _now_.

Amevin, once over the sudden..._mishap_ between her and her older brother, turned all her rage about being hit towards Laxus.

"Or _what_?" Amevin scoffed with hands on her hips and she glared at the lightning mage. "You ain't movin' anything but your mouth, n' unless ya can chant for oh mighty Thor ta rain thunder from the sky, you ain't goin' _anywhere_."

Laxus could feel an anxious twitch forming on his brow. This little brat had a tongue sharper than a sword and an attitude that could burn; this was _not_ one of his better days.

"So, it's either our way or the highway, Mister," Amevin huffed rather bossily. "So ya _have_ to let us tag along, else ya'll be a statue for life n' pigeons will be your only playmates instead of the playboy friends under your bed."

"Vi..." Cormahs muttered with rosy red cheeks. "That...that's too much."

Laxus didn't have the same effect to the comment, but he did turn red out of pure rage. The nerve of this literal little bitch, but Laxus sadly had no choice in the matter, now did he.

"_Fine,_" he grudgingly bit out through clenched teeth. "Now. **UNDO THIS FUCKIN' SPELL!**"

~...~

The morning air was refreshing, though a small shiver travelled up her spine when the cool morning air hit her. The birds were singing ever so softly this morning; their songs made the world seem a little less sleepy at this hour. Stepping outside fully, the damp grass was slippery and cold beneath her bare feet. With a book in hand and her mind wandering, she sat on a wooden bench near a hedge. The garden had been tended to with the utmost care, so the greenery was as green as could be for the time of year it was. Vibrant flowers still bloomed in their beds and only a few feet away was the beginning of a hedge maze. The maze was a confusing one, but she had travelled through it many times in her life so she knew it like the back of her hand. At the center of the maze stood something rather important to her and those that lived with her. It was a secret that weighed heavily on their minds.

Cracking open the old book in her grasp, she looked longingly at the maps kept in the text. The book was an atlas; one that was well worn from the many years of use by her. While she knew that her chances of travelling those roads were slim, she couldn't help but think of all the things she'd see should she travel the roads presented to her. All the creatures she'd only read about in books could be on those roads. Looking back to the house she lived in, she could only shake her head at the sight. It hadn't been a "home" in quite a long time for her. It felt more like a prison with a warden as cruel and strict as one could imagine.

A cold breeze blew in the garden. The dew on her feet cooled even more to the point where she felt uncomfortable. Picking her feet up off the ground and tucking them under her, she continued to study the atlas should a miracle ever happen and she'd be able to travel those roads. Though she knew that the roads depicted in the atlas were far more tame than what she could ever imagine. Endless adventure. That's what those roads meant to her.

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**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a review then! I'll be sure to share them with Elielphant. So if you have any questions about her OCs, feel free to just drop a review and I'll pass it along. Also, she was the one who made the cover too. Awesome isn't it? **

**Note: Laxus' eyes are indeed orange in the manga. We will be following the manga for the most part.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Well, disclaimer on: Neither I nor Elielephant own Fairy Tail. Only our OCs. **

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Chapter 2: Laxus' Bad Day Continues

The sun was slowly slipping under the horizon as day crept into dusk, the burning ball of fire disappearing behind the shadowed image of the mountainous background. The sky was a mix of different colorful shades ranging from oranges, pinks and reds, the clouds having a feverish yellow glow highlight as their bellies were a dark grey. When night fell upon the world, one would think it was the time for silence to echo across the landscape save for the screech of an owl or the scurrying of a fox in the bushes. But no, that is not how night was for Laxus this fateful eve.

"We there yet?" The question came up for the sixth time that early evening.

"No." He answered for the sixth, annoying, time that early evening.

"Chill, Vi, we gonna get there when we get there."

"Hmph. Well, I'm tired n' my feet hurt."

"Then ya should'a worn better shoes."

"And who's fault is it that I couldn't change, hmm, Cor?"

"...I plead the Fifth."

"That's what I thought."

Laxus rolled his eyes. This is why he hated young teenagers: puberty. They were as moody as fuck, especially the girls. He knew this was going to be a _long_ week due to the fact that it started out with him being frozen by a little Wood Elf's rinky-dink rune; it was an embarrassment for his status. And even though he was free to move about, he still felt trapped in the iron jaws of this snippy little pest. Why hadn't he done anything yet? He didn't want to become a fucking statue again. At least the brother was a voice of reason... That kept his sanity intact, but only by a small bit.

"What's the mission?" Amevin spoke up after only a small minute of sweet silence.

Laxus cringed at the sound of her whiny voice. "None of your goddamn business," which was true since he didn't want them there in the first place.

"Then how're we supposed ta' help!" Amevin snapped, tiny fists planted to her slim waist.

"Amevin." Cormahs placed a hand to his baby sister's shoulder. "Calm down," he told her slowly with a faint smile. "Be happy he's lettin' us come."

"Yeah," Laxus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "And you should learn your place like your brother did."

Amevin's cheeks prickled a scarlet red and her body became tense when she heard the insult that she felt affected not only her, but her older brother as well. Though, Cormahs didn't really give a damn, but the rune mage sure as hell did. "_Why you..._" She growled, moving her hand up her arm like she pushed up a sleeve and her fingers curled into a tight fist.

"Easy, Vi," her older brother stepped in again, using his body to physically block his baby sister from doing something she'd regret. "This is for joinin' Fairy Tail. Remember that."

"_Hmph._" Amevin huffed and looked away her her nose high in the air as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Laxus just grunted softly; if that was all that was needed to keep her quiet then thank god she shut up. A silence slipped into place, only the sounds of nature could be heard, and Laxus found it calming and quite relaxing; almost as if he were alone. Then it was broken like a rock through a stained glass window of Jesus in a chapel.

"So~ We there yet?" She asked for the _seventh_ time.

_"No!"_ He answered for the seventh time, his jaw locking with rage.

"When'll we get there?"

"_I don't know._ So _stop_ asking, damn brat."

"How'd you not know, stupid."

"Because I don't have to tell you shit!"

"Jerkface..."

"Hey, be nice Vi."

"No way, he started it!"

"Because you're an annoying sprite brat that won't shut up!"

"I'm askin' important questions 'ere!"

"..." Laxus could have continued speaking, but he decided it was a bad idea; this little shrimp backed a mean punch with her fiery tongue. So, he remained silent and let her have the last word; it shut her up in the end. No matter how much she thought she was the winner of the argument because of that, she wasn't because he got his peace and quiet.

"So, um, Laxus, Sir," the older brother of the siblings spoke up timidly.

Scratch that. He didn't get the quiet time like he wanted, but at least still at a moment of peace. He hoped so at least.

_"Hmm,"_ Laxus grunted, glancing over his shoulder.

"It's late...an' we'll be stoppin' soon?" He asked the lightning mage.

"There's a town 'bout two hours north of here," Laxus answered dully as he looked back to the road covered in the shadow of the tree leaves above, giving the path a look of complete blackness. "We'll stop there."

_"Two more hours~?"_ Amevin whined loudly. _"M'feet can't take it!"_

Laxus cringed at the tone of her voice; well shit.

"Haha..." Cormahs laughed nervously when he saw the lightning mage's body tense up. "We could set up camp. Bein' elves, we don't mind the outdoors, if ya don't mind, that is, Laxus, Sir."

Laxus actually stopped walking, paused and pondered on the idea. Two hours and listen to the nagging and then be in separate rooms. Or, camp and the whining stops...or it continues throughout the night with no walls blocking it. Two hours to the inn it is; then maybe he could ditch the brat in the morning. The older brother could tag along though. Laxus felt the respect from Cormahs, so he was allowed to stay if it stayed that way.

"It's not that long," Laxus finally replied, which earned him any whine from the rune mage, but he endured it. Just two hours and that was it.

Cormahs could cut the tension with a knife and he knew that neither Laxus nor Amevin do anything to settle it. It was up to him to make the peace, as always. Though he didn't think there would be anything out in the woods that would help. However, and he trudged along behind the aggravated duo, he saw something flicker brightly in the corner of his eye.

"Oh wait!" Cormahs then spoke up, pointing to something in the distance. "There's light over there! Must be a house, eh? Maybe we can stay there."

Laxus looked between the trees and had to squint to see, and he barely even saw the reflective yellow of candlelight against glass. How the hell the elf saw _that_ in a blink of an eye was beyond him, but he was glad that just a good pair of eyes was on his side.

"Then let's go," Laxus smirked and guided the way, which earned him-for the first time-a grin of praise from the rune mage.

Continuing on the path to the house hidden deep within the darkest part of the forest, the group soon came to a roadblock; a massive one at that. Apparently there had been a rockslide in the area and now a giant boulder that had several dozen friends were in the way. Laxus couldn't move it; there was no doubt about that. He also doubted that Cormahs or Amevin could either.

"We aren't going this way," Cormahs sighed deeply with a distraught frown.

Laxus could still see the faint light from the house even from the path, so left without much of a choice, the lightning mage stepped off the path and into the brush.

"Isn't there a better way?" Amevin pouted as her fingers rubbed a tiny leave in mild irritation.

"If you can move the boulders, be my guest," Laxus offered darkly. He was getting sick of the whining. "We either hike it, or sit in the middle of the road hoping that it vanishes."

Vi grumbled. She really didn't want to go hiking at sundown, but they had no choice if they wanted to sleep soundly in a bed under a roof for the night rather than walk to hours for it.

So, the trio continued onwards in the forests. The trees overhead made it hard to see, but Amevin and Cormahs seemed to be navigating the area without much difficulty, and the lights in the distance were getting ever closer. After hiking for what seemed to be an eternity, the trio finally came upon the house. Actually, maybe "house" wasn't the correct word for it. Mansion was more the proper one.

The three story, sprawling estate sported a red tiled roof with terracotta colored walls. The mansion design was modest; simple yet elegant in the structure which boasted a rectangular design. Whoever lived here most certainly money to spare and had a good chance of having an extra room or two for the night. There was only one problem... They seemed to have gotten onto the property from the backyard, though elaborated garden would've been the proper words to describe it.

The backyard was lush and alive with plant life of all sorts, the lanterns made of marble lighting the gardener's paradise and also gave it a nighttime romantic atmosphere. Flowerbeds of tulips, roses and lilies lined the cobblestone walkway to the back door of the mansion and arches hung overhead with vines wrapping around the oak stained wood, small white flowers hanging from them. There was even a miniature hedge maze, the bushes cut short so that a person couldn't get lost, but children would have a blast playing marco-polo. And in the center of that tiny hedge maze was a fountain with four wooden benches sitting on each side.

"Wow..." Cormahs was dumbstruck by the sight of the mansion. "Did we stumble into the Garden of Eve?"

Amevin punched her older brother in the arm, not amused by the joke during the situation. Then as Cormahs nursed the new sores, the rune mage looked the mansion up and down. "Do we go up n' knock?"

"Hmm," Cormahs hummed as he looked around the garden. "There's prolly a gardener or someone 'round 'ere."

Cormahs and Amevin swiveled their heads to look around at the area in the hopes of finding someone to speak with, but there wasn't anyone in sight. Or so they thought. Amevin picked up something in the dark, noticing that there was indeed a person on the bench. None of them had spotted her right away due to the overwhelming presence of the mansion and the poor lighting of the lanterns at night, but now that they were taking a closer look at things, they spotted her easily enough.

Cautiously, the trio made their way through the little maze, stepping over the short bushes so they get a glimpse of who was there. The person on the bench was asleep apparently, and the closer they got to her the more apparent it was that she was off in dreamland. The book over the face was what really sold it. Laying across the bench, the young woman wore a short black dress with a layered skirt and white tights underneath.

No one wanted to wake the sleeping dame considering they didn't know how the young woman would react, but someone had to take the fall. Laxus stood at the rear, not so much moving an inch and looked completely disinterested. Amevin was in a god damn moody mood, therefore she shoved Cormahs forward.

The growth mage grunted at the impact and shot a glare towards his baby sister, but nonetheless, he took the responsibility of waking the sleeping woman. "Uh... 'Cuse me, Miss?" Cormahs gently whispered, nudging her shoulder to try and wake her from her slumber.

Her reaction was almost instantaneous. Her body stiffening, the woman sat bolt upright and the book fell from her face to her lap. Wide aquamarine eyes conveyed shock at the sudden presence of outsiders. Her tidy, pale blue hair hung just past her shoulders and was kept out of her eyes using a black headband; she hadn't been sleeping long enough for bedhead to set in.

For a long moment, Cormahs and the girl stared eye to eye, their gaze locked with one another. She, lounged like a goddess on the bench with a wide look in her beautiful eyes and he, kneeling on the ground before her. Then he felt the sharp pain of cupid's arrow strike him in the ass, and he wasn't distraught by it whatsoever. Pink colored fog shrouded Cormahs's vision and all he could see was popping red hearts framing the beloved portrait of the unnamed girl. He probably had the most cheesiest grin on his lips, the grin that Amevin says that scared all the girls away. Apparently this time was no different.

Hopping up to her bare feet (it was then that they realized she hadn't been wearing any shoes), the blue haired girl hugged the book to her chest and began backing away slowly. But before another word was so much as uttered, she turned on her bare heel and ran. Or tried to at least. The moment she turned, she ran straight into a green haired woman and stumbled backwards a few steps. She kept her head down and muttered a "sorry" to the older woman. The older woman's forest green hair was tied up in a bun, a few pieces falling from it and framing her face.

"Well, hello," The woman greeted airily as she fixed her glasses by pushing them up the bridge of her nose. "I wasn't expecting visitors this late in the evening."

And with that, the blue haired girl slipped past the older woman and retreated into the house without so much a word to the trio.

"We're looking for a place to stay," Laxus grunted, annoyed with the belonged silence of getting nowhere and finally spoke up to get the ball moving.

"Oh, I see," The woman said. "The road must be blocked then if you've come all the way up here for shelter. Well, who am I to deny such young souls from their rest."

"So, you're goin' to let us stay?" Amevin asked hopefully.

A light smile graced the woman's features.

"Of course my darling, there's plenty of room," She welcomed the mages. "Please, come in. Oh, where are my manners," She laughed lightly. "I'm the proprietress of this lovely mansion, Annette Chevalier. Pleased to meet you."

"Who-Who was that girl just now?" Cormahs asked, his cheeks still blistering a bright shade of pink..

"Girl? Oh, you must mean my daughter. I'm sorry she didn't greet you. She's rather shy for her age," Annette sighed gently before shaking her head. "But you must be tired, so please come in. We can continue our talk over tea."

Annette turned from the trio and ushered them to follow her.

The inside of the mansion was just as huge as the outside. They had come in from the garden to find themselves in the foyer. The room was lit from a crystal chandelier overhead that glimmered and shone as the the light refracted through the small white crystals; the white marble floors shone equally as bright beneath the chandelier. There were stairs to their left and right, having come in from a sliding glass door.

"Homes!" Annette called for the head butler.

The man seemed to be there in a flash; not even Laxus knew where the man came from. The middle-aged man dressed in a pressed black suit and wore a monocle over his left eye.

"Yes, m'lady?" The butler inquired.

"We'll be having guests tonight," Annette informed the butler. "Have the maids prepare three rooms and the cook to prepare some tea and cucumber sandwiches."

"Yes, m'lady," Homes bowed to his employer. "I shall inform them at once. Though what shall I do about Lady Camilla? She came in looking most disconcerted."

Annette waved the comment aside gently.

"I will deal with her later," The green haired woman sighed.

"As you wish," And with that, Homes vanished as quickly as he appeared. It's almost as if he was a ghost.

The butler went to give the orders that his master had issued. Annette led her guests into the sitting room just off to the left of the foyer. A fire was gently crackling in the fireplace as several velvet sofas and chairs sat around a dark mahogany coffee table. The room was lined with still life paintings of woodlands and fields. Bookshelves sat on either side of the fireplace and were lined with many books. Annette motioned for them to sit. Laxus took one of the chairs while Cormahs and Amevin sat on the sofa. Annette herself sat on the opposite side of the table and crossed her legs like a proper lady. Annette wore a black suit with a matching skirt.

"So I do believe you've yet to introduce yourselves," Annette smiled pleasantly.

"Cormahs Auvreaneldth an' this's my baby sis, Amevin," the Wood Elf introduced him and his sister.

"Laxus Dreyar," the lightning mage said shortly. There was something off about this woman. She was a bit too friendly...

Annette kept a straight face and smiled at them. It was then that tea and sandwiches were placed on the table by a maid.

"Thank you, May," Annette acknowledged her servant.

"Yes, ma'am," May muttered before excusing herself. Though she made eye contact with Amevin before leaving. The look in the maid's eyes just screamed at the girl to be careful.

"What brings you out this way then?" Annette asked as she prepared herself some tea.

"We're on a mission," Cormahs stated proudly. He really wished he knew what the mission they were on entailed.

"I see," Annette took a sip of her tea. "Please, do help yourself to any snacks."

Amevin didn't need to be told twice; the girl was still growing after all. Cormahs even had a few himself. The only one who didn't eat was Laxus. He wasn't much of a tea person really; he could go for some booze though, but sadly, Annette wasn't offering any.

"I imagine you've had a very long day," Their hostess spoke gently. "If any of you wish to retire, Homes will show you to your room."

As soon as his name was spoken the butler appeared.

_'The hell...?'_ Laxus thought to himself. _'Does the man just know when he's been called or something?'_

Seriously, the man popped up like a ghost at the best of times. However, his sudden appearances never shook Annette. The woman was about as unshakable as you could get without supergluing something.

"Those of you who wish to retire, please follow me," The butler said ever so politely.

Cormahs and Amevin weren't done eating, but Laxus wanted peace and quiet for the night. Getting up, he went to follow the butler.

"Goodnight," Annette told the mage. "I hope you sleep well."

There was something off about this woman. Laxus nodded in acknowledgement but ultimately followed the butler up the stairs and into the mansion.

"Stoic fellow, isn't he?" Annette said with a minor hint of amusement in her voice.

"Wasn't stoic this mornin'," Amevin muttered before taking a sip of her tea.

"'Cuse me for askin'," Cormahs got the attention of their hostess. "But, do you live 'ere with just your daughter?"

Annette's smile never faltered.

"My husband is away on business along with my brother-in-law. They've been gone for quite some time now," The green haired woman looked down to her left hand. The gold diamond ring on her ring finger glinted gently by the firelight. "This mansion was built by their grandfather. But it was my father-in-law who helped with the construction and design. This mansion has been in the family since then."

"You must be lonely then," Cormahs frowned in passing.

"Not really, no," Annette still smiled gently. "My work keeps me busy enough so I don't miss them. And before you ask, I do work. My love of science is what keeps this house afloat in my husband's absence."

While Annette chatted with the siblings, Laxus was being led by the butler to his room on the second floor of the mansion. The halls were fairly straightforward, however they looked the same no matter which hallway it was. The walls were a shade of royal blue speckled with a light blue, star-like pattern. Halfway down the walls it changed to a dark paneled wood that reached the floor to meet a plush crimson red rug that muffled any sort of footsteps that would normally echo down the halls.

The decor of the mansion was just as extravagant as the architecture. Suits of armor decorated this floor in large numbers. Laxus had to have passed at least two dozen of them on his way to his room. Aside from the overly shiny armor, there was at least one well placed piece of art here and there. Paintings were the most popular of course. There was one painting, however, that caught his eye enough that Laxus stopped to look at it. It was a portrait actually. The man depicted in the painting was quite frankly not the best looking man ever. Despite the strong features of the man, namely the strong jawline and nose, scars marred the man's face with the largest of them being on his left eye. Since there were three parallel lines on that eye, it was quite obvious that some sort of clawed beast managed to get a strike in. There was a minor sense of familiarity due to the blue head of hair on the man's head. Didn't the girl in the garden have blue hair?

"Aleksandr Chevalier..." The voice of Homes snapped the lightning mage from his thoughts.

Laxus looked to the butler a short distance away from him.

"He was the first head of the family and a strong mage. He worked for the Council, actually," The butler remembered him fondly. "Now, let us be on our way."

Laxus cast one last glance at the portrait before following the butler once again.

His room wasn't much further but Laxus almost failed to notice Homes stopping at a dark wooden door due to the fact that his attention had been elsewhere. Stopping in the nick of time, the lightning mage barely avoided running into the older man. The straight faced butler opened the door to the bedroom. The bedroom itself was rather large. A king sized bed took up the middle of the room. Plush pillows were piled on the mattress and the bedspread was a deep checkered green. The room had dark hardwood floors with warm orange wallpaper that soothed the soul.

"I trust the room is to your liking?" Homes asked.

"Yes," Laxus answered. He just wanted some peace and quiet by now.

"Then I wish you a good night, sir," Homes then excused himself and left Laxus to his own devices.

The lightning mage entered the room and shut the door behind him quickly. It had been a long day for him, and the peace and quiet was very much welcome at this point.

* * *

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a review then! Thanks for those who've followed and even favorited. And as a bit of a service announcement, the pairing in the story is not Laxus/Cormahs for those who are curious. Also for those who are curious, Amevin and Cormahs are Elielephant's OCs. My OC was just introduced this chapter. Well, Happy Holidays. See you next time.**


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